Modular construction of the façade of a building has typically employed panels which are mounted through perimeter frames to adjacent floors of a building. The panels typically are supported by the frame which extends along the entire perimeter of the panel. The frames are often constructed of solid supporting materials such as concrete, metal, rigid plastics and the like and therefore tend to be environmentally undesirable.
The perimeter frames have a track into which is mounted the edge portion of the panel which overlaps the panel along the edge portion. As a consequence, the edge portion represents a region of the modular construction where the solid supporting material and the panel material appear in the same general area of the façade.
The use of perimeter frames for the panels provides good support for panels as well as good alignment between adjacent panels sufficient to withstand weather-related stress (e.g. wind, rain, etc) but suffers from a number of disadvantages. A first disadvantage is the use of environmentally undesirable materials for the construction of the frame. A second disadvantage is that the perimeter frames typically require extensive use of protective coatings to minimize wear due to the extended exposure to the weather. The protective coatings are often made from environmentally undesirable materials.
A third disadvantage is the reduction in available surface area of the panels due to the covering of the edge portion thereof by the perimeter frame. As a result, the area of view throughout the panel from the inside of the building is reduced. In addition, the available surface area for light transmission through the panel to provide radiant heat and light into the building is likewise reduced.
A fourth disadvantage stems from the recent use of panels to facilitate the use of auxiliary systems (e.g. solar energy systems) to enable the façade of the building to be useful in providing a new or added function to the building. For example, solar panels have been associated with the panel construction to enable use of solar energy for supplemental heating, lighting, etc. To date, the incorporation of solar technology to panel constructions has been time-consuming and expensive, due in part to the use of perimeter frames.
There have also been employed frameless panels which typically are connected to the façade of a building at the respective corners of the panels. Such panels provide better visibility and light transmission because of the absence of perimeter frames.
The present invention is an improvement on the use of frameless panels wherein the panels are supported by fittings positioned away from the corners of the panels in which the fittings are positioned within openings in the panels. The fittings may be hollow which provides a pathway from the façade to the exterior of the panels that can be used for a variety of constructive purposes to facilitate energy transmission, ventilation, and the use of additions to the panels, including solar energy devices.